This garlicky, gingery chicken broccoli stir fry has everything you love about takeout Chinese chicken and broccoli – but is so easy to make, there’s no need to order. Make it at home in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Plus I’ll share a simple trick to nail the perfect gooey sauce for any stir fry.
Why This Recipe Works
- Restaurant quality at home. This chicken and broccoli smacks with authentic flavor.
- Easy to make. Just four sauce ingredients.
- It’s versatile. Swap veggies or proteins and make this stir fry your own. Goes great over rice, quinoa or noodles.
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Chinese-American food. Whether it’s egg drop soup, sweet and sour tofu or egg rolls dipped in duck sauce – I’m fully on board. Accordingly, I used to spend a ton of money on takeout. But that was before I realized how easy some of those iconic recipes can be to whip up at home. This chicken and broccoli is quickly stir fried in a savory, gooey Chinese sauce. No wok required! Just use your trusty frying pan.
Table of contents
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe!
- Oil: I’m using peanut oil, but you can use any neutral oil such as grapeseed or vegetable oil.
- Minced Ginger and Garlic: Fragrant, pungent and slightly sweet aromatics with a slow burn.
- Broccoli: Chop your broccoli bite size so it cooks faster and is easier to eat.
- Chicken Breast: Chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast works. But feel free to use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Stir Fry Sauce: You just mix up a savory, umami, sweet combination of oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and chicken broth.
- Sesame oil: You’ll add toasted sesame oil to the wok last, after the heat is off. Since it has a low smoke point, it’s typically used as a flavoring oil rather than a cooking oil.
- Cornstarch: Mix cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry that thickens the sauce.
- Sesame seeds: Nutty and pretty too look at, but decorative. These are optional.
Pro Tip
Cornstarch and water is the secret to gooey, thick Chinese sauces. While you can go with a 1:1 ratio of cold water to cornstarch, I usually double up on the water (2:1). Simply add the slurry to your stir fry at the end of the cooking process. Pour it in slowly, stirring constantly. Your sauce will thicken up super quickly!
How To Make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through. Leave the heat on, but transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining peanut oil, garlic and ginger to the empty pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the chopped broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Return the chicken to the hot pan and stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and broth mixture. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch and water slurry, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Turn the heat off, stir in the sesame oil and sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately with noodles or rice.
Chicken and Broccoli Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy. Add dried red chilis for real heat. If you like things less fiery, a dash of white pepper delivers a sharp, woody heat without being overtly spicy.
- Change the protein. Beef and broccoli anyone? Yum. But shrimp and tofu would also work.
- Add different veggies. Listen, this sauce works with almost any stir fry. So use bell peppers or carrots… really whatever you like best.
Storage
Store leftover chicken and broccoli covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave. Or use a hot pan on the stovetop and stir fry with a little oil until piping hot.
- If the flavors have weakened in the fridge, drizzle with a little soy sauce and sesame oil for that fresh out of the wok experience.
You can also freeze this stir fry for up to 3 months.
- Place leftovers in a food storage container or freezer bag – and be sure to label it with today’s date.
Frequently Asked Questions
As written, it is not gluten free. There are three ingredients that those not consuming wheat should watch out for. Soy sauce, oyster sauce and chicken broth. You can easily swap the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos. Many oyster sauce brands contain wheat (or use soy sauce as an ingredient). However, this Thai oyster sauce is gluten free. As for mass produced soup stock and bouillon, be sure to read the label before using.
You can, but you’ll have to make some ingredient changes. Use tofu or seitan instead of the chicken breast – and vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth. You’ll also have to swap the oyster sauce out for a vegan alternative. This mushroom based oyster sauce is pretty good and 100% vegan. I make a plant based version of this stir fry with soy curls – and it’s delicious! Or you could try this vegan Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce recipe instead.
Low sodium chicken broth is definitely a thing (but you could just use water instead of broth). And low sodium soy sauce is fairly easy to track down as well. Lee Kum Kee makes a lower sodium oyster sauce under their Panda brand. So you can definitely lower the sodium in this recipe. But those on low sodium diets will want to carefully read the labels on those products to see if they’re low enough.
What to Serve With Chicken and Broccoli
I like to serve this chicken broccoli stir fry with a side of white rice, fried rice – or on top of egg noodles. As for side dishes, here are some of my favorites:
- Mushroom and Cabbage Dumplings
- Chinese Lotus Root Salad
- Szechuan Potatoes With Vinegar and Chili
- Homemade Wonton Soup
- Easy Vegetable Egg Rolls
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Did you like thisย chicken broccoli stir fry recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?ย Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 2 people
- Category: Stir fry
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
A chicken and broccoli stir fry cooked in a simple savory sauce. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes. Busy, but still want homemade Chinese? This easy recipe is for you!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 heaping cups broccoli, chopped bite size
- 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped bite size
- 1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced chicken and stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Leave the heat on and transfer the chicken to a plate. Set aside.
- Add the remaining peanut oil, garlic, and ginger to the pan, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broccoli, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the pan and add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and chicken broth. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch and water mixture and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Turn the heat off, stir in the sesame oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
- Serve hot with noodles or rice.
Notes
Store the leftovers in an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 5.4g
- Sodium: 816.4mg
- Fat: 12.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17.3g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 4.6g
- Cholesterol: 112.5mg
Questions and Reviews
1 tbsp olive oil is listed in the ingredients, but in the instructions you say 1 tbsp (and more) of peanut oil. could i have some clarification? ๐
Hi Jess, thank you for pointing that mistake! It’s peanut oil that you want to use, although olive oil would also work since only a little is being used ๐
Hi, this sounds delicious. I’m wondering though about the oil. In the ingredient list you call for 1 Tbsp olive oil and in the directions you have 1 Tbsp peanut oil in two different places.
Omigosh, I made this last night for my sis and me…it is WONDERFUL. I had to sub powdered ginger because I did not have fresh ginger, and I did not add sesame seeds because I didn’t have them. I will buy both soon so I can go exactly by the recipe. This is so quick and easy. Thank you so much for a super easy and tasty recipe, Caroline!
Yay Dawn! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! ๐
1. Perhaps you could marinate the chicken prior to frying, instead of just plain stir fry. Also, you could add a couple of ginger slices in your hot oil, discard them before you add the chicken. This helps to remove any “chicken smell”
2. When you have added oyster sauce, it’s optional to add sugar.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Hello,
I saw this recipe and it said 301 calories at one stop and 480 calories another, it really is 480
Hi Brenda! Can you tell me where or what calorie counter you are using?